Kyushu University Ito Campus hosts an American debate team’s visit
Since 1995, Kyushu University has hosted many American debate teams under the auspices of the JDA (Japan Debate Association) and the NCA-CIDD (National Communication Association, Committee on International Discussion and Debate). While 2021 and 2022 featured online tours due to the global pandemic, the 2023 tour of the American team marked a return to onsite visits at Japanese campuses. Two college debaters (Nine Abad from the University of Houston and Daniel Ardity from Vanderbilt University) and two debate coaches (Dr. John Koch from Vanderbilt and Dr. Kenneth Newby from Morehouse College) chose the Ito campus as their first stop when this long tradition resumed.
On Wednesday, June 14th, the afternoon campus event opened in an East-Zone classroom with a lecture and panel discussion with the debate coaches, moderated by Dr. Narahiko Inoue, Emeritus Professor of Kyushu University and long-time leader of the debating activities in the Faculty of Languages and Cultures. The two American professors shared various benefits of practicing debate with their personal stories of first-generation scholar in Communication (Koch) and of a practicing lawyer (Newby), followed by discussion stimulated from questions and comments from the audience including faculty members and students.
Panel Discussion. From left: Narahiko Inoue, John Koch, and Kenneth Newby
Students and faculty members joined the discussion and observed the demo debates
Dr. Jodoi explaining the rules of Parliamentary Debate
The two American debaters participated in two demonstration debates with Kyushu University ESS Debate Section teams. Ryo Takase (2nd year Law major) and Hina Namisaki (3rd year Economics major) debated on the affirmative of the resolution that the Japanese government should legalize gestational surrogacy, which is this year’s national high school debate competition topic. In another debate, conducted in the extemporaneous North American “Parliamentary Debate” style, Takehiko Yasumitsu (doctoral student in Systems Life Sciences) and Kazuya Kiura (doctoral student in Mathematics) were assigned to the proposition side of the motion: “This house would select politicians at random from currently eligible adults” against the opposition side of Nine and Daniel from the US. This debate was introduced and chaired by Dr. Kota Jodoi, Assistant Professor of Kagoshima University (Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Integrated Sciences and Global Society, Kyushu University). The two demonstration debates were followed by brief feedback from the American professors.
Ryo Takase cross-examined by Nine Abad after the Affirmative Constructive Speech
Hina Namisaki, questioning Daniel Ardity after his Negative Constructive Speech
Kazuya Kiura opened the Parliamentary Debate with his Prime Minister’s speech
Takehiko Yasumitsu, acting as a Member of the Government
Kyushu University’s Faculty of Languages and Cultures has been active in hosting various debating activities and has recently created a Debate Education Support Group, led by newly appointed Assistant Professor Dr. Aaron Hahn, to continue its position as a leading university in debate education.